Gossip in the Workplace: Is It All Bad?

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – improve the fluency with which students discuss C2 level topics;
• – watch a video about workplace gossip;
• – learn new proficiency level vocabulary.

This C2 lesson plan explores workplace gossip through multiple perspectives, examining its ambiguous role as both a social bonding mechanism and a potentially destructive force in professional environments.

Warm-up:

Students discuss warm-up questions on the topic of workplace gossip.

Reading:

Students read a short text about gossip and match phrases with phrases that have the closest meaning. They also discuss questions about the text.

Exercises:

In the first exercise, the learners  sort tips on how to handle gossip at work into correct categories. In the second exercise, the students put connectors in the corresponding categories. After that, they pick a card and summarize in their own words the opinion presented on it. In the following exercise, the students discuss a series of questions using words provided in a box. Later, they fill gaps in a text with provided words. In the next exercise, the learners match words and phrases to words and phrases with the closest meaning. 

Video:

Students watch a video “Gossip at Work: Benefits and Pitfalls” and answer a few questions about the video.

Discussion:

Students rank a number of downsides of workplace gossip from most to least damaging.